So my neighbor is out to get me.....

Lets see my forum member friends, where do I begin? We moved into the neighborhood two weeks before I got laid off (see Got Laid Off ). From that time up until May of this year, my neighbor across the street and I would greet each other from time to time as he was always outside attending to his flower and plants. Lets call this neighbor Charles. However, things aren't always peaches and cream, milk and cookies, etc...

April 29th of this year, my inlaws house suffered severe fire damage and had no place to go immediately after this tragic event unfolded. So being the great son in-law that I am, I decided to let them stay over at our house until they found a place to live. I mean, better my house then some shelter. However, not only did my inlaws stay over, but so did my sister and brother in law and three nieces and one nephew. I figured eight (8) people staying for at most a month wouldn't be too bad. Since my inlaws are retired, they were always at the house helping out with everything and even helped with food shopping and some errands. My father inlaw even began speaking to Charles. Apparently, my father inlaw told Charles that they had a fire and that they were staying over here for a while.

Now its gonna get hot and heavy.

My inlaws quickly found a new house within two weeks only four blocks away and moved out during the third week. On the fourth week (completely moved out), a fire/building inspector showed up on my front door. He asked if my house was a one family home or a two family home and how many people were living here. I told them the whole story about my inlaws and that they moved out, this and that and blah blah blah. As soon as the inspector left I knew exactly what happened. As you can see, Charles is a retired fire chief and he immediately began to suspect that my inlaws were going to live with me for good. Now instead of confronting me about the situation, he used his "firepower" to get me in trouble. His plan backfired on him since the inspector understood the situation and decided that there would be no need for further action.

Since this incident happened, I have had the police come to my door for loud noise complaints (I'm quiet), having too many dogs (I have two, lol) and other little incidents all caused by Charles. Why has Charles decided to stab me in the back? Now to add insult to injury, Charles got the town court involved and complained that I have two unregistered cars in my driveway (only one, the E28 that I purchased back in January). I am allowed to have one unregistered car on my property. Funny how on my block we have two other neighbors with unregistered cars but Charles doesn't mind .

So I conclude that Charles doesn't like me very much and will do everything under his "firepower" to get me in trouble. I am not one who will knock on his door and ask him whats going on because I just figure that he is a grumpy old man with nothing better to do. Maybe he is so mad that his first plan was foiled and knows that I knew it was him who got the inspector after me. Whatever the case is he is acting very childish and should be put on a rocket ship. Could it be because he thinks I am up to no good with bmw's on my driveway? I hate that stereotype........

For the record, B knows about this guy and he even told me that he is full of fail.

I understand your pain. I live in a development that was built 6 years ago. There are only 13 houses, and most were under construction at the same time. We all got to know each other during the construction phase and everyone is friendly. Except one couple...

They gripe about everything, threaten to call the police, act all stuck up, and are just poor neighbors. And all of this and I've never done anything to antagonize them. /shrug

So what's the deal this time? Anything actually happening with the court?
It's not like you're driving around the car that's not registered.

Well they say that I need to have a permit for the car and pay $50 for it. I went to the town hall and picked up the form. They didn't give me a timetable for it, however, I should have put the car in the garage to begin with so this Charles wouldn't have noticed.

Also something to point out, my neighbor to my left went to school with me and does minor repairs on my cars and the neighbor to my right has asked us numerous times to utilize her pool during the summer. So its not like I am the villiage idiot who doesn't get along with my neighbors, its just this one. However, everyone loves him

I believe the reason why he mention two cars being unregistered is because since we were in FL for a week, my father's E34 was parked in my driveway. Even though the E34 is registered (duh), Charles probably assumed that my father moved in and wanted to step up to the plate as usual and Good-Now-I-Can-Get-Him-In-Trouble.

And I'm thinking to myself even if my father were to move into my house (which he isn't) why the F would this guy even care? I know he wants us out of here but I'm not leaving my neighborhood because of some idiot. I even joked with B one time when he was parked in front of my house when he was going to move in while Charles was outside just to ruffle his feathers

I had a Charles in my old neighborhood when I moved in. My Charles was in his 70's, retired with a lot of time on his hands. The neighbors told me he like to cause trouble.

We're allowed to burn leaves, brush, etc in our town and the 3rd time I was burning a small pile of leaves our Charles came over with a copy of the town burning restrictions and said I was buring 2 feet to close too his property. This was the same burn pile the previous owner used for 15 + years.

I didn't say anything but put the small fire out with the hose, put the unburned leaves in the wheel barrow and moved them to the other side of my property.

The next day Charles' wife came over and said Charles was sort of crusty and like to make life difficult for people. "No problem." I said with a smile.

A few days later Charles was sitting outside enjoying the day and watching me while I worked in the yard. I went over to him, pulled up a chair and the converstion went something like this:

Me in a calm voice: "You know, I think we got off on the wrong foot and I want to change that." "I'm a pretty busy guy and I don't have a lot of time for your F'in games. If you think I'm some sort of pushover (I used another P word) you got another thing coming and if you're going to make life difficult for me I'm going to make your life a F'in miserable Hell." Then I got up and bent over a little bit and in a very low volume voice said. "Don't F with me again".

Then I padded him on the back and said "Have a nice day." and walked away.

He was clearly rattled by this since I didn't see him again in the yard for the next few weeks (his usual hangout). I really didn't have a problem with him after that. In fact, months later he waived 'Hello' to me in the yard. A year later I built a detached garage near his property line and didn't here a peep out of him.

"During Prohibition I survived on nothing but food and water". - WC Fields

Your post makes me want to walk across the street at this very moment and do what you did to your Charles. However, the City of Beacon Police Dept. will be at my door for harrassment and GOD forbid I had a fire, the fire dept won't respond . However, I need to get my interior door handle repaired on my e28 so I was going to ask my neighbor George to fix it. Then I will ask George what is the story with Charles. Yesterday morning I drove my wife to work with my son in tow and as I arrived home Charles was outside attending to his garden. He didn't even look toward my way and even walked the other way as I was getting out of the car.

However, I need to get my interior door handle repaired on my e28 so I was going to ask my neighbor George to fix it. Then I will ask George what is the story with Charles. Yesterday morning I drove my wife to work with my son in tow and as I arrived home Charles was outside attending to his garden. He didn't even look toward my way and even walked the other way as I was getting out of the car.

Waitaminnit! You need to GET your interior door handle fixed? You have an E28 and you don't have a Bentley? The E28 door is one of the simple pleasures in life. You can have one completely apart in under a half hour. FWIW, the interior door handle can be changed out in less than 10 minutes by a well-trained chimpanzee with a phillips screwdriver. If you want specific instructions, PM or email me. I've had four of them out within the past two weeks. I even have some spares you can have very cheap if yours is actually broken.

Oh; about the neighbor. Instead of the threats, start out by taking him a beer (if you know he partakes) and asking him what the problem is between you two. I'm sure he'll be shocked that you ask. Go from there.

Ask everyone who comes to visit you to come over driving a U-haul or large box truck. It would be even better if you could get 5-10 trucks to drop by every day in a time frame where Charles would obviously see the trucks. Ask each driver to bring along two passengers as well.

Waitaminnit! You need to GET your interior door handle fixed? You have an E28 and you don't have a Bentley? The E28 door is one of the simple pleasures in life. You can have one completely apart in under a half hour. FWIW, the interior door handle can be changed out in less than 10 minutes by a well-trained chimpanzee with a phillips screwdriver. If you want specific instructions, PM or email me. I've had four of them out within the past two weeks. I even have some spares you can have very cheap if yours is actually broken.

Oh; about the neighbor. Instead of the threats, start out by taking him a beer (if you know he partakes) and asking him what the problem is between you two. I'm sure he'll be shocked that you ask. Go from there.

The problem I have is that the door cannot open from the inside, only from the outside and it seems that the line or wire leading to the interior door handle is about to break off. Whenever B comes over I'm sure he can give me a hand. As for the beer, do you actually think he deserves a beer on my broke @$$

Ask everyone who comes to visit you to come over driving a U-haul or large box truck. It would be even better if you could get 5-10 trucks to drop by every day in a time frame where Charles would obviously see the trucks. Ask each driver to bring along two passengers as well.

Actually, CR's suggestion is very good, unless Charles hates beer.

LMAOROTF. That just made my day. Only wish I could invite KISS and Aerosmith for a concert on my front lawn.

The problem I have is that the door cannot open from the inside, only from the outside and it seems that the line or wire leading to the interior door handle is about to break off.

The inside link is a long thick wire (that essentially doesn't bend). It almost sounds like you have a latch problem at the back. I just replaced one. It's a bit of a PITA job until you know how everything connects. I wrote it up over in MyE28.com. Still, not hard to figure out as you take it apart, like I did.

Whenever B comes over I'm sure he can give me a hand. As for the beer, do you actually think he deserves a beer on my broke @$$

To paraphrase a friend's line from last weekend, "It's not about the beer." It's a gesture. It doesn't even have to be a very good beer. Do you see stuff in his recycling? If there's empty cans of Diet Mountain Dew in there, he'll appreciate one of those.

The lady across the street. We call her Mrs Cravits from Bewitched. She walks her dog without a leash and knows better. This causes everyone else with a dog to avoid her sidewalk. He dog is so old and it causes issues everytime she lets him out. She has her nose plastered to the front door every day watching who's coming and going!

She complains to me about parking my WarEagle duck boat on the street. I have a legal right to park it up to 24hrs. If I'm 5 minutes over the 24 hour mark she is calling the HOA to report me.

She thinks I'm white trash because I work on my cars. I never leave a mess and do all my maintenace quick and clean in my drive way or in the garage.

I keep the best looking house / lawn in the hood. All the folks stop and check out our flower beds every spring and comment on the lawn. My wife and I decorate every holiday and always keep the house looking great.

Her place is a mess most of the time. Yet, she feels she has to stick her nose in everyones business.

Last week I finally had it with her! He dog is in her yard off leash and here comes the guy walking his Great Dane. Her dog runs out its yard and barks at the Dane. The Dane just bites it on the arse!! She had a fit, started giveing the guy pure you know what to the thrid degree. I waked over and handed her a copy of the HOA rules with the leash law underlined and told her she is the one at fault not the dane owner. ( I raised and showed Great Danes for years ....my board name... zdaneman) I also informed her, I would go to court and support the dane owner if she tried to push charges.

Needless to say, she doesn't even look my way now! Still no leash on her dog!

I used to have the building biddy living directly below me in my condo building. She complained to the board that when it rained - again, when it rained - water dripped from my balcony onto hers. The balconies are open, and rain comes in no matter what. So I went downstairs to discuss the matter with her. She had plastic runners all over her place. She proceeded to show me the FIVE STEP process she uses to wipe off her balcony, which she began WHILE IT WAS RAINING.

She then asked me how to get the grout on her bathroom floor clean. I said I didn't know, so she showed me what she did - she used a small bottle of white-out (typewriter correction liquid) to white out the grout. She literally got on her hands and knees to use that little brush to white out the grout.

They literally ended up taking her away when she was found wandering the hallways.

Every neighborhood has a Charles which is unfortunate, however, that makes the world go round and round. This morning I had to put some air in one of the tires on my wife's E46 and Charles was up front but didn't look our way. Its good to know that I'm not the only one who has problems, though.

B, since you are coming over tomorrow, you should somehow point it out to Charles. This way, I can receive another complaint